Children, Families & Learning Cabinet Member – Minutes – 17 July 2017

48 (48) APPOINTMENT OF LOCAL AUTHORITY SCHOOL GOVERNORS – The Director: Learning, Skills and Culture submitted a report considering the appointment of suitable candidates to serve as local authority governors.

Boards of governors were the key strategic decision-making body for schools. It was the board’s role to set a school’s strategic framework and to ensure that all statutory duties were met. There were currently 72 boards of governors within North Lincolnshire serving both schools and academies. A number of schools were federated, which meant that a governing body oversaw the running of two schools.

In accordance with the School Governance Regulations (2012) maintained schools’ boards were constituted from the following governor categories:

When a Local Authority vacancy occurred, the relevant board identified the necessary skills, knowledge and experience that would be required of the successful candidates. The council was then able to match the board of governors’ needs against the perspective candidate’s application.

Resolved – That the four applicants as listed at Appendix 1 to the report be appointed as Local Authority Governors on the schools listed, subject to the relevant DBS checks.

49 (49) CHILDCARE SUFFICIENCY AUDIT 2016 – The Director: Governance and Partnership submitted a report presenting the Childcare Sufficiency Audit Report, and sought approval for it to be published on the council’s website in line with the sufficiency duty.

The Childcare Sufficiency Audit provided the local position on how the council was meeting its duty to secure sufficient childcare under the requirements of the Childcare Act 2006. Provisions in relation to sufficiency of childcare were as follows:

Section 6 required councils to secure sufficient childcare, so far as was reasonably practical, for working parents or parents in education or training for employment, for children aged 0-14 years (or to 18 years for disabled children).

Section 7 placed a duty on councils to secure the availability, in each 12 month period, of at least 570 hours of free early education provision over at least 38 weeks for each eligible child aged two, three and four years from the date at which entitlement started until the child reached compulsory school age.

The Early Education and Childcare Statutory Guidance from September 2014 set out that councils should report annually to elected members on how the duty to secure sufficient childcare was being met locally. The report should be made available and accessible to parents.

Resolved – (a) That the Childcare Sufficiency Audit Report 2016 be received, and (b) that it’s publication on the council’s website, be approved